Feed-bag.



drum,

No. 880,226. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

' G. W. LESTER.

FEED BAG APPLICATION FILED NOV, 4, 1907.

Q v'whwoo 0 THE "cams PETERS co. WASHINGTON, a c.

horses of different sizes.

GEORGE W. LESTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FEED-BAG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed November 4. 1907- Serial No. 400.633.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LESTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Imrovements in FeedBags, of which the folowing is a specification.

This invention relates to feed bags for horses and the like, and relates more par ticularly' to means for gradually raising the bag to the horses mouth as the feed is eaten, so that the horse will not toss the bag upwardly in an endeavor to reach the feed at the bottom of the bag when nearly consumed, thereby avoiding spilling and loss of feed.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of feed bags so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in use, and

composed of few parts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a supporting devicefor a feed bag in the nature of a spring which gradually elevates the bag as the feed is consumed, the spring serving as the sole support for suspending the bag on the horses head.

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invent-ion comprises the various'novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device showing its application. Fig. 2 is a front view of the feed bag. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the combined supporting member and bag-raising means.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a feed bag of any approved construction, having at diametrically opposite points, rings 1 for connection with the suspending straps B,

the lower ends of which are provided with snaps 2 for removable connection with the rings 1. The bag-supporting and elevating means comprises a member O preferably, although not necessarily, in the form of a piece of strip spring metal to the ends of which are secured buckles 3 for receiving the straps B, whereby the bag can be adjusted to On the middle portion of the member O is a covering or shield 1) serving as a cushion and for preventing the spring to straighten and gradually elevate the bag so that the feed will always be within convenient reach of the horse.

In practice, the mess of feed is supplied to the bag and then the latter is applied to the horse by strapping the latter to the horses head, the straps B extending upwardly along the sides of the head while the member O extends transversely over the top of the head at the region behind the ears. The weight of the feed will cause the spring to bow as shown by the dotted lines a in Fig. 2, and the straps B are adjusted so that the horses mouth will conveniently reach the feed. As the feed is eaten, the spring will gradually become less and less bowed and move successively to the full and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 2, thereby elevating the bag so that the horse will not be obliged to toss the latter in an effort to reach the feed. It will thus be seen that the bag is automatically raised and there is no loss of feed.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a bag, a resilient member arranged to rest on the top of ahorses head and forming a supporting and raising means for the bag, and connections between the member and'bag.

2. The combination of a bag, flexible elements attached thereto, and a spring adapted to extend over the head of a horse and con' nectedwitlrthe elements for gradually raising the bag as the feed is consumed.

3. The combination of a feed bag, a spring forming the sole support for suspending the bag on the horses head and of such resiliency as to gradually raise the bag as the feed is consumed, and means for adjustably connecting the bag with the spring. v

4. The combination of a feed bag, a spring forming the sole support for suspending the bag on the horses head and of such resiliency as to gradually raise the bag as the feed is consumed, means for adjustably connecting the bag with the spring, and a cushion on the spring for preventing the latter from injuring the horses head.

5. The combination of a feed bag, side straps connected therewith, a flat strip of spring metal for engaging the top of a horses head to support the bag in position and yieldable under the combined weight of the bag and feed therein, and buckles secured to the ends of the spring for connection with the straps.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. LESTER.

Witnesses:

AUGUST. W. PALMQUIST, A. W. FRIES. 

